My Ozark Adventure in Marketing

One of the nice things about working in Law Enforcement is the occasional reduced rate coupon or “freebee” provided for public servants. Last week my husband and I took a quick trip to Southern Missouri to take advantage of a discount offered by a well established theme park. I enjoyed the trip but there were two things that made me wonder about the decisions made by the park management. This park is known nationwide for its rustic appeal and quality craftsmen. Yet, three of the premier craft attractions were closed for the first month of the park season. Hey Mr. Businessman!! If you advertise that you have resident craftsmen and visiting artists--you may want to actually have them at the park. The other thing that I noticed was the gift shops. Yes, I know. A tourist attraction is going to be FULL of gift shops. The problem was that the gift shops at this “1880’s-themed experience” were packed with modern, cheaply made, imported, mass produced, plastic junk. There are many Missouri and Arkansas craftsmen and artists that would love to fill Branson’s gift shops with quality art and craft items. There is no need to fill all of that retail space with that stuff. I was very disappointed. My husband was very happy to return home with the money that we had taken with us for shopping. What a shame.